Boston fans discussing '86 Celtics vs '96 Bulls on June 17, 1996 (the night CHI won)

[Im Still Ballin]

Now this is awesome. Always cool to see what people were thinking in the moment. Extreme bias though.

https://groups.google.com/g/alt.spor...m/yUdNLoYAmS0J

While this is admittedly not the most impartial place for rational
discussion of this issue, let's get a discussion started here on
which team is the best of all time:the '86 Celtics, or the '96 Bulls.
I realize that there are other candidates ('87 Lakers,'72 Lakers,
'67 Sixers, '63 Celtics), let's keep the discussion confined to these
two teams....

Let's think about match-ups... DJ on Jordan and Kukoc... Robert on
Longley (yee-hah!)... McHale and Walton squaring off with Rodman's hair
and then getting together to smoke a bone after the game... Bird on
Pippen (Pippen averages 33 points a game, and the Bulls still lose!)...
Pippen on Bird (Bird gets 18 assists a game, 13 to Robert and Kevin
on average)... Sichting and Kerr compare hairline versus follicle density
versus 3-pt. averages...
My prediction: Celtics in 7, 3 games in OT, 1 in double OT.

Celtics win. In 6.

'86 C's--without a doubt IMHO.
Parish could concievably put up 24 ppg. and 15 rpg in a series like this.
The Uninvited Guest

I know we want to play with Hot Rod getting into a tussle with Parish or
McHale, but I've got a scary feeling that, like in the '96 Finals, he'd
behaving himself.

I'm going to look at Bulls vs Celts as an East Div Final: Bulls with home
advantage.

If Celts don't win in 6, Bulls win in 7. And the deciding game will go
into Double OT.

Bird - Pippen Bird
Jordan - DJ Jordan
Parish - Longley Parish
Rodman - McHale Stalemate
Ainge - Harper Harper
Bench - Even
Coaching - Even

Intangibles - Boston Garden

This series would have gone 7. In game 7 Bird and Jordan would have
dueled down the stretch - but with Rodman getting extra shots for Jordan
and Pippen putting the heavy D on Bird the Bulls would probably win. But
if game 7 were in the Garden the Celtics would find a way to win. The
team with the Home Court Advantage would be the winner. I might add that
the McHale - Rodman matchup would have been a war. Remember it was
McHale who singlehandedly turned the Lakers - Celtics matchup around
(they year they won) when he got physical.

> Bird - Pippen Bird
> Jordan - DJ Jordan
> Parish - Longley Parish
> Rodman - McHale Stalemate
> Ainge - Harper Harper
>
> Bench - Even
> Coaching - Even
>
> Intangibles - Boston Garden
>
> This series would have gone 7. In game 7 Bird and Jordan would have
> dueled down the stretch - but with Rodman getting extra shots for Jordan
> and Pippen putting the heavy D on Bird the Bulls would probably win.

First of all the Celtics offense would be focused around Parish and
especially Mchale because the Bulls would have no one that could stop
them. Pippen couldn't help out because his hands would be full with Bird
who would be planted at the 3 point line. Bird could score on Scottie
Pippen but wouldn't be the primary option because the Celtics would have a
decisive advantage in the post.

Second, Bird was the best defensive rebounding forward in the league. I
think the statistics bear this out. Bird, who wasn't a great individual
defender, would be perfect to box out Rodman because he wouldn't have to
be concerned with Rodman scoring points.

> But
> if game 7 were in the Garden the Celtics would find a way to win. The
> team with the Home Court Advantage would be the winner. I might add that
> the McHale - Rodman matchup would have been a war.

Maybe like the Persian Gulf War. It would be over that quickly because
Rodman can't score and Mchale would never be even slowed down by Rodman.
You simply need a bigger body(ies) on Mchale. Rodman would have a better
shot guarding Robert Parish then Mchale.

> Remember it was
> McHale who singlehandedly turned the Lakers - Celtics matchup around
> (they year they won) when he got physical.

Mchale was even better in 1986 then he was in 1984. Mchale was easily a
top 5-10 player in the NBA in 1986-unstoppable in the post and a great
interior defender while Rodman didn't even make this years All Star team.
I love Rodman but he is no where near Mchale. Ainge was in the prime of
his career(in 1987 he made the All Star team) and a better all around
player then this year's Harper. I don't expect Harper to make the All
Star team next year or even come close.

I could give the coaching advantage to the Bulls(But KC was adequate for
the team he was given-this team could have won a championship without a
coach). The Celtics clearly win 4 out of the 5 matchups but any team with
Jordan/Pippen/Rodman is worthy of respect. The Bulls win the Jordan vs
Johnson matchup more decisively then the Celtics win any matchup, but that
simply wouldn't be enough. I also like the Celtics bench more then the
Bulls.
-Dan

The Celts had 5 all-stars starting, plus Bill Walton and Scotty Wedman

[Axe]

Oh cool, a new thread relating to kevin mchale.

[JBSptfn]

86 C's would win. Heck, the 86 Rockets could beat the 96 Bulls. Akeem gave MJ trouble with less talent around him in the early-90's. There is no way that Rodman and Longley could contend with the Twin Towers, and Captain Video (HC Bill Fitch) would find a weakness to exploit in Chicago's team.

[kawhileonard2]

86 C's would win. Heck, the 86 Rockets could beat the 96 Bulls. Akeem gave MJ trouble with less talent around him in the early-90's. There is no way that Rodman and Longley could contend with the Twin Towers, and Captain Video (HC Bill Fitch) would find a weakness to exploit in Chicago's team.

Hakeem got swept by Seattle when they were back to back champions.